Katana
The Katana (also erroneously called the Ninja Sword) is a close combat weapon in Left 4 Dead 2. It spawns in the following campaigns: *Dead Center *The Passing *Dark Carnival *Hard Rain *No Mercy *Dead Air *The Sacrifice The Katana is classified as a Slashing weapon. As such, hits from this weapon will sever limbs, and will spew blood on your screen. Achievements Notes * The Katana is based from the katana, a sword worn and used by a Japanese elite warrior class known as the samurai, beginning in a division of Japanese history known as the Muromachi period. Traditionally crafted Katana are made of a special metal called tamahagane, which can only be forged from a furnace known as a tatara. * When picking up a Katana, all Survivors (except Rochelle) may say, "Grabbing a ninja sword." This is due to the popularity of the Japanese ninja in American media. However, a Katana is, in fact, a sword used by the Japanese samurai. Despite popular belief, the closest thing to a "ninja sword," otherwise known as a ninjatō, may never have existed and is purely theoretical. Though under the right circumstances (such as losing their weapon during combat), a ninja or shinobi may have used a Katana. A Katana has a long curved blade and is generally held with two hands, while the ninjatō is a short (generally straight) blade. * Ellis and Rochelle are the only Survivors who can correctly identify a Katana. Coach and Nick will always identify it as a "ninja sword" upon sighting a Katana. ** Despite being able to identify the Katana, Ellis still calls it a "ninja sword" upon picking it up for some unknown reason. He may just be referring to it informally, though. ** Regarding the Left 4 Dead original Survivors, it is yet to be confirmed by Valve who among Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey could identify the Katana in a similar manner like Ellis. * In a Blog Post, the Katana was voted the most favorite melee weapon on both Xbox 360 and PC. * The Katana is featured as the only weapon in the Mutation Four Swordsmen, although the Survivors can still use their pistols when incapacitated, most likely due to gameplay reasons. * Despite being held by two hands, light from the flashlight still appears in front of the survivor that equips the Katana. This holds true for other two-handed melee weapons, such as the Axe. This is merely a game mechanic. * When closely observed, the Katana's ''tsuba'', or hand guard, has an engraving of a scorpion (this has not yet been confirmed by Valve) in it. This is interesting as well as intriguing, as most tsubas are round and are meant to be used to prevent the hand from sliding onto the blade during thrusts as opposed to protecting from an opponent's blade. The diameter of the average katana tsuba is 7.5–8 centimeters (3.0–3.1 in). * In the history of videos and trailers, The Sacrifice trailer is the first to feature the Katana. Ironically, whilst being a weapon from Left 4 Dead 2, it is seen being in use by the original Survivors from the first Left 4 Dead, which does not feature weapons of such sort. ** As the trailer suggests, it could be a retcon, which is done by mixing elements from Left 4 Dead 2 into Left 4 Dead, such as Bill wielding an AK-47 in The Sacrifice comic. ** Zoey makes her move as the first Survivor to ever lay hands on a Katana, though she held it only for mere seconds before handing it to Louis, who then uses it to fight off Infected. However, the latter is credited to be the first to use the Katana against the Infected. ** As seen in the trailer, Zoey and Louis both wield the Katana singlehanded, an impossible act in-game. Also, prior to handing over the Katana to Louis, Zoey is seen holding what seems to be a Magnum pistol on her other hand, and Louis grabs the Katana with his left hand as a testament to his ambidexterity. ** Where and how Zoey found the Katana is never revealed, as circumstantial evidences will indicate that the location where the trailer is set is an unlikely location where one can find such weapons therein. * Similarly to most slashing weapons, if the user's reaction is fast enough along with facing the correct direction, the Katana can slice through a Smoker's tongue when snared. See the Smoker's tactics section for more details. * In addition to all current finished DLC's released by Valve for Left 4 Dead 2, the Katana can be found in many Custom Campaigns such as Suicide Blitz 2 and I Hate Mountains. ** The Katana used to appear in all Left 4 Dead 2 ''ports of the original campaigns. After the December 16, 2011 update, it is now exclusive to No Mercy, Dead Air and The Sacrifice. * Strangely enough, the Katana, like all melee weapons, does not appear on the original Survivors' backs when not equipped in the ported ''Left 4 Dead ''campaigns, making it appear as though they are brandishing it out of thin air. The only logical explanation possible is that the original Survivors' models do not yet support all the new ''Left 4 Dead 2 weapons and items, though the new guns (e.g. the Combat Rifle and the M60) are nullifed by this fact. * Zoey's hands clip on the Katana most out of any Survivor on various instances since her restored animations are not yet in sync with most weapons. Common with all other bugs and issues, this problem is being currently patched by Valve. * Ellis is the only Survivor so far to mention or make references to various aspects of Japanese culture upon grabbing the Katana; he often references ninjas whenever he mentions "Grabbin' the ninja sword. See some nunchucks, gimme a holler/ Wish I brought my throwing stars". Also, at one point, it is revealed through obtaining the Katana that Ellis is skilled at karate, a well known self-defense martial art from Korea. ** It is odd, however, that Ellis does not mention the samurai in one of his lines, despite the fact the samurai themselves are the best-known individuals for wielding the Katana. Also, the fact he has stated that he took karate lessons with the Katana seems to be negatively accepted since karate deals with defending one's self without the use of weapons. In this case, Ellis may be indicating iaido, the Japanese art of swordplay. External links * PAX 09: Highway Fire katana - One of the first videos featuring the Katana. Category:Weapons Category:Close Combat Weapons Category:Left 4 Dead 2